You Belong With Me
by Crazy Twilight Lover
Summary: There's nothing worse than having the guy of your dreams completely and utterly not knowing the fact that he doesn't belong with the girl he's dating - he belongs with you. He's oblivious. She's in love.


**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, and I would also like to acknowledge Cornelia Funke, and her wonderful book ****Inkdeath**** which I've just finished reading. That combined with Taylor Swift's new single "You Belong With Me" inspired this fanfic.**

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You Belong With Me

I adjusted the thick-framed glasses on my nose and peered up at Forks High, the school I had been attending much too long for my liking. The only good things about it were my best friends, the advanced classes, and the nice teachers. Oh yeah…and _Him_.

My best friend bounced over to me, narrowly missing tripping on her untied shoelaces. I grabbed her arm before she could meet face-to-face once again with the cold, wet blacktop, and she smiled gratefully at me. Her dark hair was swinging easily in the gentle breeze and her eyes were bright with their usual sparkle.

"Hey," we greeted each other, just like every day.

Her grin was a bit too wide, a bit too goofy, and I immediately was suspicious.

"What have you been doing before school ended?" I asked accusingly.

She feinted a look of innocence and surprise, but I could effortlessly see through her façade. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see the slightly swollen lips and the pale bruise already forming on her neck. "Nothing," she said.

"Don't lie to me. Did you skip class and sneak off with him again?" I teased lightly.

A thin blush coated her cheeks, and she ducked her head nervously. "Shhh. No one knows about us yet."

"Why don't you just announce it?" I asked.

"Cause she's being ridiculous."

I turned around, hands on my slim hips and a ready pout on my face. Sure enough, he stood there, looking mighty pleased with himself and sporting a head of messy hair, as if he had just rolled out of bed. Which, according to my common sense, he hadn't (however, there were a pair of roaming hands that probably messed it up more than usual). The infamous track runner who had brought this school to victory for the past two years. Also known as my brother.

"Was I talking to you?" I tended to be quite snappy with my twin.

He didn't seem bothered and gave me the famous lopsided smirk. "I believe you weren't. However, that does not mean I am not permitted to voice my opinion. And my opinion is that my sweetheart is being quite absurd. " Of course. Me being snappish meant him being formal old Dr. Professor.

My best friend practically jumped on him, her arms around his neck so fast I barely glimpsed them moving. And he, obviously, returned the hug with as much vigor. I turned away so they wouldn't see my pain, but not before I saw him plant a wet kiss on her cheek.

Okay, I'll admit it. I was jealous.

I was a complete and utter nerd. She was not. There were some similarities, such as the facts that we had really pale skin, a liking for big books, and no appreciation whatsoever for dances, proms, etcetera, etcetera. However, she had a boyfriend, and I didn't. She didn't wear nerd glasses and I did. She was far more beautiful and popular, and managed to hook one of the school's most wanted hotties. Not that I was calling my own brother a hottie, because that would be just plain disturbing.

When I turned back to the lovebirds, they were done displaying their attraction to each other. My brother looked at me and inclined his head to the right, a look of understanding on his face. I followed his gaze.

And promptly dropped my books.

There he was. The single most gorgeous, fascinating, attractive, charismatic, hot, sexy guy in the world. Feel free to add any other positive adjective to my list. Oh, and I forgot alluring.

Then he did something totally unexpected. He turned his head and glanced in my direction.

For a second, he looked at me and I forgot everything. Everything but his deep, smoldering blue eyes, just dripping with sapphire honey and so suave. He ran a hand through his longish blond hair, messing it up as I had seen my own brother do countless times. But when _he_ did it, the action held so much more appeal; I felt my knees go weak. His pale pink lips were curved upwards at the corners as he talked to his sister, who was also my best buddy number two. I could almost hear the slight drag of his Texan drawl. It was enough to make any girl swoon.

Jasper Hale.

I imagined him standing behind me, his voice husky with longing as he told me about how much he dreamed of me. I could feel, in my mind, his smooth lips grazing my ear as he whispered love poems written just for me and smoothed down my hair. But alas, it was only a daydream.

I was woken out of my fantasy when Maria, the popular and unbelievably slutty, whiny, insatiable girlfriend of my dream guy waltzed over to him, pecked him on the cheek, and then followed his gaze – to me. Jasper looked away hastily, but not before Maria caught what he was looking at: the poor, geeky nerd of the school, who somehow became the beautiful Rosalie Hale's best friend.

Maria sneered at me, her eyes shooting daggers and obviously telling me, "Stay away from my boyfriend or I'll make your life a living hell."

I didn't see any reason to heed that warning, because why would Jasper even bother to spare a glance at me in the first place? He was probably looking at my brother, whom he hung out with frequently.

I wanted to tear my eyes away, but I could do nothing except watch this girl destroy Jasper. She hung all over him, her tiny petite body barely reaching his upper chest. She looked like a nine-year-old. But a very pretty, flawless nine-year-old. Thankfully, I was released from the spell.

"Alice? Alice, were you listening?" I distinctly heard Bella's voice in my ear.

"Huh?" Oh, way to go, Alice. You made it so obvious you were in JasperLand.

"I guess that answers the question, love," Edward told her, sending me a fleeting, knowing look. I blushed to the roots of my hair, but glared back defiantly.

"Well," Bella said, her alto voice lilting like a song, "We decided to go to Rose's house this afternoon. Do you want to come with us?"

I hesitated, unsure. It had been a while since Rosie and I had appreciated each other's company, and no doubt it would be funner with Bella there. Edward could entertain himself with Emmett, Rosalie's boyfriend and the star quarterback of our football team. My brother could bring me home. Best of all, Jasper would be there. But I didn't think I could tolerate being in the same house as him without making a total fool of myself, and it would be worse if his girlfriend were there.

Almost as if she heard my thoughts, Bella assured, "Maria's not gonna be there."

I mentally exhaled. At least I didn't have to face the Queen of Demons.

A heavy weight collided with my back, and I felt myself flying forward. Fortunately, my face wasn't squashed into the ground, but the skin of my palms was scraped and bloody. I heard snickering in the background, and an unmistakable horse-laugh. Lauren.

To make matters worse, I also heard the click of a picture being taken and looked up to see Maria sneering at me, her eyes full of burning fire. And not the good kind of fire, either. I felt embarrassment fused with anger rush through me, tempting the heat that flooded to my cheeks.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward step forward, a murderous expression on his face. His mouth was open, ready to hurl verbal insult, but he stopped suddenly and, incredibly, he stepped back.

I wanted to scream at him.

"Hey, Maria!" The deep voice that plagued my dreams rang out from across the parking lot, and the crowd of students witnessing my demise scattered. If possible, I felt my cheeks redden even more, and my heart throbbed unevenly in my chest. God, I had serious love issues.

Jasper jogged over to his girlfriend, completely ignoring me, and asked, "I forgot my phone at home. Do you mind if I use yours?"

"Not at all, Jazzy!" Maria trilled in her perfect voice, perfect like everything else about her.

Jasper smiled weakly, but it came off as more of a grimace. I wondered why he was dating her if he found her presence to be unbearable. "Thanks, Maria," he said, taking the expensive cherry-red phone and moving his hand over the keypad quickly.

Edward pulled me to my feet and Bella dusted my knees off, both of them asking me anxiously if I was alright.

"Yeah," I said, though I knew from the expressions of their faces that they weren't fooled.

Edward gritted his teeth together. "I'm going to kill that James bastard. All he cares about is his girlfriend Victoria and being popular. It's people like him, who are only concerned with reputation, that make this world such a messed-up place."

"Hush, Edward," Bella reprimanded gently. "You shouldn't talk about things like that."

For a second, Edward looked like he was going to ignore her and scream some more, then he nodded solemnly and said, "You're right. Alice, we should go home. Bella, do you want me to give you a ride home?"

"Sure. Can you take me to your house? Charlie isn't home, and he gave me permission to stay for the night at the Hales'. I have my stuff in your room and it'll be easier to go to Rosie's house that way."

Please, please don't tell me why my best friend's stuff is in my twin brother's room. Spare me the details. I do _not_ want to know what they do in there.

But, because God loves me and decided to bestow a ton of luck upon my head, I turned and tripped over a little kid, somehow falling back of my butt. My glasses fell off my nose, but I could still see one-hundred percent clearly. I had twenty-twenty vision, but the glasses were just there to protect my nose in case someone tried to break it. Hey, they did come in handy and they did their job well.

My favorite book dropped in front of me, and I reached out to pick it up. As soon as it was in my hands, tiny fingers gripped it and yanked it back. I looked up wearily and saw a six-year-old kid glaring at me like the world depended on it. Whoa. He could give any villain a run for his money.

"That's _my_ book," he said, his brow puckered and lips pulled into a frown. He glowered at me, and I was seriously getting scared. Of a six-year-old! Then I saw the resemblance. Ah, James' dark eyes and hair. So I was meeting Laurent again, my mortal enemy's little brother. Who, I might mention right now, was a prick every bit as stuck-up, arrogant, and petulant as his elder sibling, even at this tender age. He scowled at me – probably in imitation of his brother. Spoiled little brat.

I'd met this tiny bastard once, and learned that he made me think pretty violent thoughts.

I took a deep breath and, with a startling amount of difficulty, managed not to cave his face in for being so rude. Not a clever move. It would be my last action. Deep breath in, and out. In, and out. _Okay, that's better, Alice. Be nice to this diminutive devil, and he might leave you alone._

Dammit! Where was my good-for-nothing brother when I needed him?

"I'm sorry," I said in as nice a voice as I could muster. "There must be a misunderstanding. This is my book, and I dropped it." It's my favorite book because the hero's name is Jasper though it is a children's novel.

Laurent stared darkly at me. "Liar."

Oh, how fabulous it would be if I could saw off his upturned nose.

"Please, Laurent. This is my book. I need it. You don't read these kinds of books, do you?"

He seemed pretty indifferent. "Yeah I do, lady. But my brother doesn't like me to read them. He says they're going to make me soft and vulnerable and like a girl…" Blah, blah, blah. _Just give me the damn book so I can go home, you insolent wretched little creature_, I thought, but I hid my savage wishes behind a carefully neutral expression.

"Um…that's not a nice thing for your brother to do."

"What does it matter to you? All you want is to steal my book!" Oh, how happily I could have wrung his stupid high-and-mighty neck!

But all I did was smile sweetly up at him. "Please, just give me the book."

"Why do you want it? It's a book for children. Only for children."

Horrible little know-it-all. I was thisclose to impaling him on the next sharp branch I saw. In the back of my mind, I wondered where timid, nerdy Alice went. "I want to see the pictures for a project I'm doing in art class." I want to obsess over every time the author writes the name 'Jasper.'

Laurent put his book bag on the ground, completely ignorant of the dampness seeping into the material, and opened the book. He began leafing through the badly drawn cartoon pictures."These are terrible pictures. If you want to draw them, you're really miserable." I wondered who would take the time to teach a six-year-old these words. "What will you give me if I give you the book? Do you have money?"

Money. James bullied me more than once for my money. It seemed the prospect of getting your hands on green paper through unpleasant methods ran in the family.

"Of course." I stood up and reached into the back pocket of my worn-out pants. No jeans for me. _Just you wait, you wicked little princeling,_ I thought. _As soon as I can, I'll topple you from your throne with a few nasty surprises._

Laurent held out his hand, and I reluctantly dropped a dollar into his waiting palm.

The little hand stayed open, demanding more without words. "I want three." I could have kicked him.

I snarled angrily, Nerd Alice having entirely vanished by now and Angry Alice in her place. Laurent clutched the book more firmly to his tiny chest with a threatening look on his irritated face.

Greedy little bastard. He was just like his brother. I parted with two more precious dollars, dropping them into his hand, and he was quick to close his child fingers over the thin paper, as if afraid I would decide the offer was not worth my money. Please. I wouldn't touch anything his gluttonous little hands came in contact with, other than the book.

"Alice?" I heard Bella and Edward come back to investigate, since I didn't follow them. Yes! Get your behinds here you two, and fast!

Laurent sensed the danger, and stuffed his prize into his expensive jeans pocket. He held out the book to me with a gracious expression, as if it were completely normal for a kindergartener to black-mail a high-school junior into giving the obnoxious little self-righteous prick three dollars in return for a book he had stolen. Stupid, stupid, stupid. _Next time, the kid's going to leave with a broken neck_, I consoled myself.

"Good," I said, taking a deep breath. I was ready to bathe the book with hand-sanitizer. "Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and demand my money back."

Laurent ducked his head shyly, but the next second he remembered whose little brother he was.

"You better watch the way you talk to me, Four-Eyes!" he cried shrilly, stamping on my toes so hard that I yelped. The people who were still lingering in the parking lot, freezing their ungrateful asses off, laughed, and Laurent stalked away like a shrunken copy of James.

A tiny minuscule unappreciative version of his brother. I knew I would be meeting him again. What a wonderful thought.

I could feel Angry Alice going back to sleep, and Nerdy Alice coming back to take her place. I wasn't always like this. This was just…the product of many issues that turned me into a geek. I used to be fun, and loved to party, as well as going shopping. But that world just…fell apart. And that Alice died.

In the background, the loud sneering of popular kids could be heard. And they were rapidly making their way towards me.

Just great. Pick on the nerd.

……………………………………………

The sound of raucous laughter filled the house, and a bunch of empty soda cans lay pell-mell on the floor, on the coffee table, on top of the TV. Bella and Edward were in the love seat, both their cheeks red. Bella held another glass of Coke mixed with Sprite, and her boyfriend helped himself to it, downing the entire drink in one gulp.

Who'd have known that caffeine can make you this drunk.

Rosalie giggled girlishly, and if I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was more than a little tipsy. Emmett sat next to me on the couch, one arm slung over my shoulder, belting out the National Anthem off-key and at the tops of his lungs. Yeah, definitely drunk on soda. At least he wasn't slurring or we'd be in serious trouble.

And I? I was squashed next to the massive lump of useless flesh with my i-pod in hand , trying in vain to drown out his song with my own music.

"Alice! Alice! You gotta get us more soda!" he yelled, and it was really inconvenient that I was close. Emmett seemed to have forgotten I was sitting right next to him. He shifted and jostled me, making me spill Ginger Ale down my shirt.

I giggled. Okay, so maybe I was a little happy too. But I deserved a break. "You. Asshole. You made me spill my drink," I laughed. "You ruined my shirt."

He shrugged. "Get another. Jasper has some. Go ask him."

I suddenly felt very sober.

"A-ask Jasper?" I said nervously, beginning to twist the hem of my shirt as I usually did when I thought about him.

"Sure," Emmett said, gulping down an entire can of Pepsi and then belching loudly. Whoa. I leaned away from him as he began hiccupping.

Bella and Rosalie gave me a look that only girls can understand, while the boys chuckled obliviously at their own silliness. I sighed and got up, turning back to them with pleading puppy-dog eyes. They shook their heads and pointed at the stairs.

I sighed again and trudged up the steps.

Just as I was lifting my hand to knock on Jasper's, aka the subject of my most recent 500 fantasies, door, some instinct imbedded in my brain told me to shut off the music blaring through the earpieces. I was reluctant to do so; the song I was currently listening to was one of the many Jasper recommended. I fell in love with his music style immediately.

As soon as I hit pause and the music died, I heard yelling coming from behind the door. I know, bad Alice, but I couldn't resist. I began eavesdropping without a drop of shame.

"No, Maria, you don't understand!" I froze, then peeked through the keyhole on the doorknob. Jasper was holding his cell phone up to his right ear, his left hand flailing as if trying to emphasize to an invisible person how apprehensive he was.

There was a muted muttering sound coming from the phone, but I couldn't understand what the person was saying.

"Maria! Listen to me! I didn't mean it that way! Look – I'll take back what I said. But you need to calm down!" he said sternly.

Pause. Then, "I was just joking!"

Another pause. "Maria, I – " He never finished his sentence, just snapped his phone shut and threw it on his bed with a groan. He perched on the edge of the mattress and buried his head in his hands. I noticed that he was doing that a lot, ever since he stared dating that girl.

Must be nice to have your PMSing girlfriend hang up on you.

I knocked. I know, stupid move.

Jasper opened the door, and I felt my knees automatically buckling like they always did every time I looked into his eyes. Those deep, amazingly blue eyes…snap out of it Alice! I gave myself a mental shake and said something like, "Um…Jasper? Emmett spilled a drink on my shirt and…_mumble mumble mumble…_" Goodness! He was wearing a dark green tee. It looked pretty damn good on him.

"Excuse me?" he said politely, smiling even though it looked strained.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Emmett spilled a drink on my shirt and he told me to ask you for a spare top?" It ended up sounding like a question more than a statement. Jasper's smile looked weak and he looked tired in the wan light coming from the dying bulb above his head. I noticed that his eyes were slightly blood-shot, a stark contrast between the blue of his irises and the light red webbing of veins.

He held the door open and gestured, with a sweep of his arm, for me to come in. Aw…how chivalrous.

He waved a hand nonchalantly at the wardrobe at the back of his room. "Feel free to take anything from the right side. Rosalie's too fond of loading extra clothes in my closet when hers overflows."

I let a timid smile adorn my face, no flirting or trying to get his attention. Of course, that came with being painfully shy and not immensely popular.

"Alice…" he said.

I turned, having already picked out an oversized white tee. "Yeah?"

"Nothing," he said quietly, looking at his desk. I walked over and sat next to him on the soft mattress, my head cocked to the side.

"What's wrong, Jasper?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

He sighed and ran a hand through his blond locks. "Okay. Long story short, I said something as a joke and Maria blew up. She didn't get that I meant it as a joke."

Poor baby. Obviously, I didn't say that. But I was thinking it. "You okay?"

"Tired of drama," he said, with an ironic edge to his voice. No one could be close to Maria and escape drama.

"Sorry," I frowned.

He shrugged.

I opened my mouth to say those three words that were burning on my tongue, just squirming to escape their prison in my heart. But before I could utter them, Jasper stood and closed his drapes. I took that as my cue to leave. It was only after I was locked securely in the bathroom with the shirt still clutched in my hands that I realized what a fool I was. If I said those three words, it would have meant disaster. God, nothing good ever came to me. I could feel the pain ripping in my heart.

"I love you."

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend  
She's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
'Cuz she doesn't get your humor like I do  
I'm in my room  
It's a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
And she'll never know your story like I do_

……………………………………………

I stood in front of the floor length mirror, examining my reflection with sad eyes. Of course no one would want me. I was a miserable wretched little creature. Mary Alice Brandon. Nerd of Forks High. Who was crushing on the forbidden fruit, her friend Jasper Hale.

Rosalie and Bella forced me into a short mini-skirt that hit about mid-thigh. I was horrified when I realized they wanted me to wear it.

"I can't!" I choked out. "I can't!"

"You can and you will, Alice," Rosalie said sternly. "We've had enough of your moping around, clad in a tee and sweats. You need to grow up, girl! Live your life! Come on, I knew an Alice that loved to go out like a fashion statement. Where's that girl?"

I hung my head. _Not here_, I thought. _She died a long time ago. Along with my love for Mum and Da._

"Please." I hated how my voice sounded so weak. "I can't."

"Mary Alice Brandon," Bella said. Wow, I never knew she had it in her. "I _know_ for a fact that you're crushing on Jasper. So you're going to tell him. You're going to fight for him. Or are you just going to let that loud-mouthed witch Maria have her way with him until his heart's so shredded he can't love anymore? Are you going to be the girl that watches the guy of her dreams being ruined, until the pieces can't be put back together again? Or are you going to be the girl that chases after her guy, shows him what a skank his current girlfriend is, and gets her happily ever after with Prince Charming?"

"There is no happy ending," I whispered. "Prince Charming is already taken." My voice rose. "A girl like me never gets her happily ever after." By now, I was wailing. "Besides, who's going to take a social reject like me? Even my parents didn't want me! MY PARENTS! The people who are supposed to love you above all others!"

Rosalie and Bella were quiet. "This is about what happened in Mississippi, isn't it?" Bella finally asked.

I nodded and sniffled.

"Tell us what happened, Alice," Rosie coaxed gently.

I shook my head. "I don't need to see a shrink. That'll just make it worse!"

"We aren't bringing you to a shrink. Ally, you're our best friend. We love you. We'll never reject you. Tell us," they said in unison.

I shook my head a lot, but in the end, told them the story.

"I was really happy in Mississippi. My parents were divorced; Da and Edward stayed in Chicago, and Mum and I moved to Biloxi where we took Mum's maiden name: Brandon. Edward took Da's name, Masen. Even though they were separated, they still loved each other, just not intimately. We were still a family, and visited each other often. But when I was twelve, I found out that I had premonitions. Instincts far beyond anyone else's. It got so far that I was even able to tell if something would happen before it did.

"I kept that secret for a year. But one day, when I was thirteen, I knew that a hurricane was coming. Mum didn't want to believe me, no matter how hard I tried to persuade her to leave for Chicago. She and Da had an argument and didn't see each other for ten months, though they exchanged letters. To make matters worse, the weatherman told us that the hurricane would hit Florida, but would give Mississippi a wide berth. 'There,' Mum said. 'You were just dreaming, sweetheart.' That was the last time she called me sweetheart, or any other pet name."

I paused and took a deep breath, before plunging on.

"I didn't tell Mum that I also saw blood – lots of blood. That night, Mum had her baby: a tiny little girl called Cynthia. Da knew about the baby, but they wanted it to be a surprise for Edward. The next night, the hurricane hit. I was right, and everyone else was wrong. Mum was scared; she drove right into the heart of the storm. In her haste, the seatbelt of Cynthia's baby seat wasn't put on right. The rain made the road slippery, and when Mum swerved too hard, Cynthia went flying out of her seat and crashed through the window."

I took a deep, ragged breath, the tears stinging my eyes. "She died on impact. It was horrible. All the blood…"

"It's okay, Ally." Two pairs of arms supported me as I sagged against them. I could see it all again, the pelting rain being poured from the sky like a thousand tears of grief, the tiny little corpse lying on the hard ground, the dark stains of blood. I could hear the cries of agony from my mother as she held her precious baby for the last time, mixed with my own wails of loss.

"Edward never knew he had a sister…"

When I was composed enough, I continued.

"Mum and Da were scared. They were scared of me. Scared that I knew about the hurricane. I think they wanted someone to be responsible. So they chose me. They told me that I could have saved her – she was sitting right next to me. But how could I have known that she would die? All I saw was endless rain – endless rain and blood. They blamed me for the fact that they only got to hold their daughter for one night. I was disowned. Turned out to live without inheritance, or any help. But Edward saved me. He came after me and cared for me, until Dr. Cullen and his wife took us in. I was happy again for a while, and acted like I used to. But then Mum and Da found me, and they were angry. They visited. It left a scar on my soul. I couldn't do anything I used to do. So I quit being cheerleading captain, and just became a shell of who I was. That's why…why I can't be the Alice I used to be."

I fell silent.

"You poor thing," Bella crooned.

"Can you give me my tee shirt?" I asked. She handed it to me without a word. I quickly stepped out of the mini-skirt and tight-fitting shirt, snuggling into my familiar tee and sweats.

Now Maria took my place a cheer captain, and I was resigned to the bleachers. After I became this Nerdy Alice, Jasper moved in with his sister and I fell absolutely head over heels in love with him. If only the old Alice had seen him first – she would have snagged him before Maria.

The sound of the door opening woke me up.

Edward stood there, his face drained of blood, green eyes wide. I never saw my twin look this pale before, or so choked up. "I-I had a sister?" he whispered, eyes on me.

I nodded.

He slammed the door shut, but not before I saw the tears of betrayal in his eyes.

_But she wears short skirts  
I wear T-shirts  
She's cheer captain  
And I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up  
And find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see  
You belong with me  
You belong with me_

……………………………………………

"Hey," Jasper said, grinning easily and sitting down next to me. I lowered my book and smiled back, taking in the rips in his faded old jeans. The green bench we were sitting on creak under us.

"Hey to you too," I said, closing the book. What was the use of studying when I had Eros in front of me? Though, in my mind, the God of Love and Beauty paled in comparison. Even Aphrodite's son wasn't competition for Jasper. My sweet and the man who held my heart.

He leaned back, one elbow hooked over the top of the bench. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing of great importance." Could he hear my heart beat fast every time he spoke to me? It seemed impossible not to.

"What book is that?"

"Just one that I'm studying."

He smiled genuinely and watched the wind tease my untamable black hair. I watched him like a hawk watching a rabbit. He leaned forward and brought an arm out, tucking a strand behind my ear. I shivered inwards and felt goosebumps erupt on my arms but smiled at him all the same.

If only he knew the responses he elicited from me.

We just gazed into each other's eyes for a long time, not saying anything. Was it just my imagination, or was he getting closer?

"So," he said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Are you going to tell me what you're studying?"

I laughed. It was so easy to talk to Jasper, so easy to get along with him and pretend that it was only us in this world. Only Jasper and Alice. "Sure. But watch out – it's pretty boring."

"I'll be willing to listen to you any day."

I bit my lip and looked at my book, shifting it closer so he could see. "I was just going over the basic things we had to remember like the Pythagorean Theorem – a2 + b2 = c2. You remember? And the Quadratic Formula. x = -b plus or minus the square root of – "

A shiny red convertible pulled up, interrupting me, with the witch Maria behind the wheel. I felt my throat constrict.

"I guess that's my ride to school," Jasper said lightly. "See you, Alice."

I heart thudded at the way he said my name, his lips shaping the A, his tongue flicking forward a bit with the L, mouth closing to form the E. I watched him get up and hoist himself into the passenger seat, my "See you," barely loud enough for him to hear. I knew my face held rejection.

Maria looked at me, her lips parted in the universal 'seductive' way. She brought her hand up and removed her classy sunglasses, her eyes showing disinterest, like I was a bug under the microscope that she couldn't care to inspect.

As soon as Jasper was settled firmly in the leather seat, Maria reached for him, grabbing his neck roughly and yanking him to her.

I wanted to look away, unable to watch. And yet this act held my gaze, just like at school that day James shoved me and I met Laurent.

Maria buried her face in Jasper's neck, whispering something to him. She was obviously sending me a message: "Don't mess with me, Nerd, or you'll really regret it." I felt a prickling behind my eyes. No, please not the tears again. I lowered my gaze.

She looked at me, pushing Jasper's face into her shoulder so he wouldn't see our exchange. Our eyes locked, and hers were burning with hatred and jealously. She no doubt felt the need to claim her property in front of me.

She threw him back, and his head slammed against the chair. She didn't seem to notice, and, with a last poisonous glance in my direction, drove off.

I rolled my eyes. But inside, my heart was screaming.

_Walk in the streets with you and your worn out jeans  
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be  
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself  
Hey isn't this easy?_

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down  
You say you're fine  
I know you better than that  
Hey whatcha doing with a girl like that_

……………………………………………

Maria was cheering, her white pom-pom raised in the air as she screamed with delight. The cheerleading uniform clung to her like a second skin. She clapped, chanting the school victory chant with all the other cheerleaders. Including Lauren.

I sat in the bleachers with my friends, feeling a pang in my heart that I was the only single one among them. Rosalie was cuddling with her bear of a man, and Edward had dragged Bella onto his lap and was shamelessly flirting with her.

"This would be better if it were football," Emmett grumbled. But he watched nonetheless.

Emmett was football, Jasper was baseball, and Edward was track.

"Look, Edward," Bella whispered. "Jasper's up at bat."

I turned to look and saw half the stadium ogling the lean, blond boy with the bat in his hand. I tried not to notice that when he stood waiting for the pitcher to throw, his butt stuck out a bit. My glasses slipped down my nose.

The ball flew forward. Jasper hit it with the experience of a world-class batter. The girls screamed with delight, and I sang softly under my breath a song I had written for him, proclaiming my undying love.

Maria screamed along with all the other girls, her hands waving in the air as she yelled, "That's _my_ boyfriend!" I felt sick to the stomach.

I was being jostled by the crowd, but it was amazing watching the man of my dreams in his element. He was fast, and no one could get him out. I felt pride swell in my heart at the sight.

He looked at me.

He looked in my direction! I felt myself gnawing at my lip again, this time with hope.

Maria did a bunch of cartwheels, looking as beautiful as always. The stadium erupted with cheers again as the game ended, and Jasper Hale lead Forks High to victory.

I watched him run up to his girlfriend, who was hanging off of another burly player. He talked to her for a while, his face hurt.

She poked him in the chest, her eyes sparking with malicious spite. Her lips were curved up, finding sick delight in the way she tortured his heart. She still thought she was being coy. She didn't know she was hurting him.

I saw Jasper shake his head in disbelief and turn away, his head down.

Immediately, I stood up and ran after him.

_She wears high heels  
I wear sneakers  
She's cheer captain  
And I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up  
And find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

……………………………………………

"Miss, can you tell us a story?" the group of children begged.

Maria flicked them off as if they were annoying little bugs. She said in an overly sweet voice, "Not now, children. I'm busy. Why don't you go read to yourselves?"

"Please, Miss, we can't read," they said.

Her face twisted, and she said in harsher tones, "I'm busy. Don't bother me."

Jasper opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, I interjected, "Do you want me to tell you a story?"

"Oh, yes please!" How happy they sounded! I smiled.

"What story do you want to hear, children?"

A little girl piped up, "Can we hear the story about the teeny tiny woman?" I saw Jasper smile.

I nodded. "Alright," I began. "Once there was a teeny tiny woman who lived in a teeny tiny house in a teeny tiny forest. One day, she – "

"But we already listened to that one a lot!" one of the boys complained. "Can't we listen to another, Miss? Please?"

"Fine," I said patiently. "You can call me Alice. I'll tell you the story of the teeny tiny woman and the big fat ghost."

"There is not big fat ghost," one of the children giggled.

"Of course not. Which is why I put one in the story. Now hush, or I'll never get the story out."

"Yes Miss Alice," they chorused in unison.

I cleared my throat. "As I'm sure you all know, the teeny tiny woman gave the teeny tiny ghost his teeny tiny bone back, right? So the teeny tiny ghost and the teeny tiny woman became best friends after that. One day, the teeny tiny woman was in her house making a teeny tiny dinner for her and the teeny tiny ghost, when along came a big fat ghost!"

There were gasps from the ring of children surrounding me.

"The big fat ghost was really mean to the teeny tiny woman. The teeny tiny woman was scared, and she called to the teeny tiny ghost who was playing in the backyard. So the teeny tiny ghost came out and said to the big fat ghost in a teeny tiny voice, 'Go away from our house!' But the big fat ghost just laughed.

"'You can't make me leave,' said the big fat ghost in a big fat voice. 'You're just a teeny tiny ghost.'

"The teeny tiny ghost was extremely insulted, and he went on a walk to look for help. Meanwhile, the teeny tiny woman was hiding under her teeny tiny bed. The teeny tiny ghost came to a teeny tiny marsh where a teeny tiny frog was stuck in a teeny tiny mud puddle. The teeny tiny ghost said, 'What are you doing, Cousin Frog?'

"The teeny tiny frog replied, 'I am stuck in this teeny tiny mud puddle!' So the teeny tiny ghost pulled the teeny tiny frog out of the teeny tiny mud puddle and put him on a teeny tiny lily pad in a teeny tiny pond. The teeny tiny frog was really happy, so he said in a teeny tiny voice, 'What you do want as a teeny tiny gift for helping me?'

"The teeny tiny ghost told the teeny tiny frog about the big fat ghost. Then the teeny tiny frog gave the teeny tiny ghost a teeny tiny horn. The teeny tiny ghost thanked the teeny tiny frog and went back to the teeny tiny house where the teeny tiny woman lived. There was the big fat ghost! The teeny tiny ghost hid behind some teeny tiny reeds and said into his teeny tiny horn, 'GO AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE!' But the teeny tiny horn made the teeny tiny ghost's teeny tiny voice sound like a great big voice!

"So the big fat ghost got scared, and he ran away. The teeny tiny woman thanked her friend the teeny tiny ghost and gave the teeny tiny ghost his dinner. And the teeny tiny woman and the teeny tiny ghost lived happily ever after in their teeny tiny house, chasing away big fat ghosts with the teeny tiny horn."

Silence.

Then – applause.

"That was a good story, Miss Alice!" the children cried.

I beamed. "I'm glad you liked it! Now it's snack time! Off you trot!"

I didn't know Jasper was behind me listening to the entire tale until he said, "That was quite an unexpected and intriguing story there, Miss Alice. Want to tell me where you found it?"

"I made it up," I said, smiling in his direction. "Care to have a snack, Jazz?"

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see  
You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know  
Baby  
You belong with me  
You belong with me_

……………………………………………

I lay back on my bed, book propped between my knees and phone glued to my ear. It was weird, this position. Sitting Indian style and laying down at the same time.

"You going tonight?"

"No, studying." I knew I sounded more than a little wistful.

But prom? Prom was my worst nightmare. I couldn't stand all the romance in the air, all the couples and smart elegant dresses. I was a nerd. Nerds and prom don't mix. But what made it worse was the knowledge that Jasper was going with Maria.

I didn't want to spend the night watching that slut hanging off my Jasper and giving me smug looks all the time, like the cat that ate the canary.

"Wish you were." His voice was wistful too. Could he really want me to come? My heart leaped.

I imagined him, blond hair brushed back to reveal that sexy Texan look, the starched white collared shirt under a black velvet vest. I could almost feel the black tie around his neck in my hand. His blue eyes would be like all the stars in the sky captured in two cerulean orbs. Two pools of endless love, just waiting for me…

I giggled and looked down, my stomach full of anxiousness. It wasn't like I was going on my first date!

From the phone, I could hear the scrape of a chair being pushed back as he got up. "Alright, bye then. I'll see you later."

"Later," I echoed, and he clicked end.

Looking down, I saw the piece of paper where I had once written "I love you" meaning to slip it in his locker. I never got around to doing that, having chickened out, but I still saved the paper. Those words were too precious to throw away.

I pulled off my glasses and picked up the paper.

_Oh  
I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night  
I'm the one who makes you laugh  
When you know you're about to cry  
And I know your favorite songs  
And you tell me about your dreams  
I think I know where you belong  
I think I know it's with me_

……………………………………………

I stepped through the door nervously, fingering the soft white silky material of my dress. I was late. Which meant all eyes were on me.

Bella and Rosalie stood closest to the doors with their respective boyfriends, having just slipped in too after helping me dress up to win over the boy that held my heart. I was anxious. Would he see me? Would he know me?

I felt the burning gazes of all the people on me, inquiring, surprised, stunned. Even I was stunned. I had shed the girl I was, Nerdy Alice, and the old Alice timidly stepped out. She was ready to face the world once more after hiding for years. For the first time in too long to remember, I controlled myself. I spiked up my short pixie hair, styling it as I had back then. My dress was a gift from my dead grandmother. It was absolutely magnificent.

And when I stood in front of the mirror, without my glasses and looking like the person I used to be…it was breathtaking. _I_ was breathtaking. I still couldn't believe that girl was me.

Jasper turned around, his eyes falling on me. The sad little smile on his face disappeared, replaced by an incredulous expression. I fidgeted a bit as he took one hesitant step toward me. Rosalie and Bella beamed, pushing me forward with little giggles.

I looked around as I came, the long earrings I hadn't worn for so long jangling pleasantly. I'd forgotten their music.

Jasper smiled. And it was a true, real smile, not like the ones he hid behind when Maria was there. He smiled at me, at my hair, my dress, my face, at _me._ Alice Brandon. The social reject. Maybe there was someone who loved me after all.

All the couples parted around us as we walked dreamily toward each other, our steps smooth. It was like something out of a fairytale. I couldn't help the smile that broke out over my face.

Maria reached out and caught Jasper's arm. She was clad in a thin red gown, looking like she was about to party whilst I looked like I was getting married. She dragged her boyfriend around and grasped his arms, occupying all his attention and talking avidly.

I froze. Would he forget me once he set eyes on his beautiful girlfriend?

But then relief broke over me. I watched them talk, and read the word 'over' on Jasper's lips. A disbelieving look stole over her sharp features, and she caught sight of me in my flowing white dress. Her mouth opened and she bored holes in his back as he made his way back to me.

Maria was shocked. Suddenly, she stalked off.

I walked until I stood right in front of him, and looked in his eyes. Jasper Hale. Then I unfolded the paper in my hands, and without saying anything, told him. It was all written down. "I love you."

He read it with wide eyes, then reached into his own pocket and retrieved a piece of paper. When he unfolded it and held it out for me to read, I felt my heart skip a beat. There, written on his flawless white paper, were three words. "I love you."

He loved me.

Jasper loved me.

We made our way into each other's arms and our smiles were huge. Unbelievable. I distinctly heard the cheers of Bella, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward in the background, along with the yells of our fellow classmates. "Finally!" and "At last!" and "Oh my God, so they _finally_ find out?"

I felt as if everyone knew about our love but us. Silly.

He inclined his head a bit, and my breathing sped up. Yes. Please. Do it.

He kissed me.

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see  
You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know  
Baby  
You belong with me  
You belong with me_

_You belong with me  
Have you ever thought just maybe  
You belong with me  
You belong with me_

* * *

**Author's Note-Long! Please review, and you should watch the video too. Just go to youtube and type in "You Belong With Me official music video." Tell the truth: how many of you thought it was going to be a Bella/Edward story? I thought I was going to write one too, but then I got to thinking that I had too many BXE fanfics. Plus I have a newfound fascination with Jasper.**

**A few answers to things I didn't explain:**

**Why was Edward crying? He felt betrayed, and angry that Alice didn't tell him he had a baby sister that died. But he was more pissed off at his parents for keeping a secret like that.**

**Why didn't Bella want everyone to know she and Edward were going out? Well, like you know, Bella is shy and she'd like to keep her boyfriend to herself for maybe a little bit longer. XD**

**Why doesn't Alice see the future now? After she ran away, the strain of being unwanted and all the stress she had to go through kind of squashed the gift from her brain. Now she gets only brief hazy flashes every now and then. Excpet it's still in her blood. So when (not if) Alice and Jasper have children sometime in the future, that child will probably have the gift.**

**Jasper did not need Maria's phone. He took it and erased the picture of ALice's humiliation. Isn't he so sweet? ****Oh, and yes, I did make the story about the teeny tiny ghost and the big fat ghost up. I was trying to entertain my brother.**

**Any other questions, feel free to tell me in a review and I'll reply!**


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